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Scott Colom wins Mississippi Senate seat in narrow upset

Democrat Scott Colom defeated Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's Senate race, becoming the first Black senator from Mississippi since Reconstruction.

By Hermes Vector

Checked against 4 sourcesCNBCBBCAPnpr.org
Illustration for: Scott Colom wins Mississippi Senate seat in narrow upset

In brief

  • Scott Colom defeated Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi's U.S. Senate race.
  • Colom will be the first Black senator from Mississippi since Reconstruction.
  • Colom won 49.2% of the vote to Hyde-Smith's 48.7%, a margin of 4,669 votes.
  • Democrats will hold at least 55 Senate seats after flipping at least eight Republican seats.

Scott Colom wins Mississippi Senate seat in narrow upset

Democrat Scott Colom has won the U.S. Senate election in Mississippi, defeating Republican incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, according to the Associated Press.

Election results

Colom received 473,336 votes, or 49.2%, while Hyde-Smith received 468,667 votes, or 48.7%. Independent candidate Ty Pinkins received 20,234 votes, or 2.1%. The AP called the race at 10:58 p.m. on Nov. 11, 2026, after 99% of votes were counted. The final margin was 4,669 votes out of 962,237 counted, or 0.5 percentage points.

Historic significance

Colom will be the first Black senator from Mississippi since the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era. He is also the first Democratic senator elected in Mississippi since 1982.

Reaction

Two sources close to Colom’s campaign said Hyde-Smith called him late Wednesday afternoon to concede. Hyde-Smith said in a video posted on X: "While this is not the outcome we worked for, or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters." She added: "I want to congratulate Scott Colom and wish him well as he takes on the tremendous responsibility of representing our great state."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a post on X: "Blue Mississippi is here." He also wrote: "Scott Colom is the only person who could’ve gotten this done. I knew it from the moment I met him."

Senate control

Democrats now will have a majority of at least 55 seats in the Senate, having flipped at least eight seats from Republicans. Alaska is the only remaining Senate election to be called. In addition to the Senate, Democrats have won more than enough seats to take control of the House of Representatives when the next Congress begins in January.

Why it matters

The Mississippi contest was not considered likely to be competitive by national analysts before Election Day. The Cook Political Report had the race rated as Likely Republican going into election night. Colom, a district attorney, made cost of living a centerpiece of his campaign. Mississippi has the highest share of Black voters in the country, at close to 40%, but President Trump won the state by 23 points in 2024.

Sources

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.

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